Hydraulic classifier for ores.



V witnesses 73,

J. N, FLOOD.

HYDRAULIC OLASSIFIBR FOR ORES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 1910.

982,583. Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. FLOOD, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

HYDRAULIC CLASSIFIER FOR ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 2 1, 1911.

Application filed July 11, 1910. Serial No. 571,487.

To all whom it may concern: ment, so that a series of upward water cur- Be 1t known that I, JAMES N. FLooD,acitirents are produced and particles falling in zen of the United States, residing in the city the column are subject to the influence of and county of Denver and State of 0010- each series, thus preventing the forming of rado, have invented certain new and useful an accumulated mass of particles. Improvements in Hydraulic Classifiers for In the construction of a water column for Ores; and I do declare the following to be a conveying and distributing the water into full, clear, and exact description of the inthe sorting column or compartment of the vention, such as will enable others skilled in classifier, I preferably use a series of short r the art to which it appertains to'make and pieces of iron pipe, screwed one into the use the same, reference being had to the acother, of different sizes so that each section companying drawings, and to the characters will permit of a maximum distribution of of reference marked thereon, which form a W er into the sorting column through a separtof this specification. ries of small holes drilled through each sec- My invention r lates to i o t i tion of the pipe at or near the junction where hydraulic classifiers and means for applying screwed together. the upward current of the water to classi- There are other minor features of invenfiers using a sorting ol n of on t nt a, tion involved in the elemental construction, and to using a pocket or spitzkasten comand particular arrangement herein described partment for the classification of ore pulps. all of which will more fully hereinafter up- In each of the said types of classifiers the pear. pulp to be classified is run into the classifier In the drawings referred to herein and by means of a suitable launder and subjectforming a part of this specification: Figure t ed to an upward or rising current of water 1 is a side elevation showing the usual arthrough which the heavier particles fall, rangement of attaching a classifier to a condischarging through an opening in the botveylng launder having a pocket to intercept tom of the classifier, while the rejects or the the flowing material, the same havin atparticles too light to settle through the said tached thereto my apparatus for classifying upward current are passed to the next classiores. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of fier for further separation. 1 this classifier showing the centrally located In the use of the different types of classiwater column for distributing the water fiers various methods are employed to a l pressure forming the series of upward curthe water pressure to the classifier in sucii ren described. manner that an upward current is produced, The sections of pipe forming this column through with certain ore particles fall are preferably arranged so that the intake under the influence of this water current, 01 largest pipe 18 lOCittQCl near the bottom of while other particles may be held in suspenthe classifier. A cone or cupshaped desion at or near the top of the sorting column O I i prov d On the Outside Of each or compartment, until an accumulation of S ct n Of pipe b l w each ri s Of h 0 these particles form a mass and it fall to that the water is deflected upward at about the bottom of the column, carrying with it 40 degrees, forming a current through which 1 particles which should have been rejected, particles will fall to the next series of openthus lessening the lfieien y of th l ifi r lugs and again be influenced by the current and requiring an objectionable amount of produced there, and so on to th discha ge at water or pressure to prevent such mass formthe bottom of the classifier. It is this aring, It is this unnecessary amount of ater rangcment Of it series of uwpard currents and the consequent improper sizing of the that permits of the use of little water to particles that seriously affect the further break up mass forming and gives continuous treatment of the classified material. Selective c i n 0 p p r S particles- As a special apparatus suitable for carry- The same reference characters indicate the ing out the main feature of my invention, I same parts in all the views. preferably employ a water column of suita indicates the flange which is screwed on able size, centrally located in the so-called to the sorting column and is bolted to a sorting column or compartment, through trough or launder through which the ore which classifying water is conveyed and dispulp flows. tributed into the sorting column or compartb is a sorting column, preferably an iron supports the column 0.

nular space surrounding; column 0 in sort pipe of constant cross-sectional area, into 1 which the pulp falls from the conveying trough or launder.

c is the centrally located classifying water column made of sections of iron pipe. screwed one into the other.

(Z is a pipe cap screwed on to, and closing the water column 0 at its upper end.

6 c and e are cup-shaped deflectors made of cast iron and are screwed on to the sections forming column 0.

f is a cast iron bow intowhich the column g is a pipe nipple which is provided with a long thread and passes through the base of the classifier into the cast iron bow f, and

h is a cast iron lock nut intended to fasten pipe 9 securely.

i i and 2' are holes drilled through column 0 to distribute the upward currents of water into the sorting column Z2.

is thecast iron base forming the bottom of the sorting column.

70 is a circular piece of iron casing pressed into cast iron, base j, having holes drilled through its periphery. v

Z areholes drilled through casing is to admit water into base j of sorting column b.

m is an iron pipe screwed into the base 7', which admits water into the space surrounding the casing is.

a is a pipe nipple screwed into base 7', and is the dischargef'or the material'classified in sorting, column I).

In the operation of this classifier the pulp falls into the, top of the sorting column b. Water under pressure is admitted into column 0 through nipple g. This water passes: through holes 0, 2' and 2' against deflectors e 6 and e upwardly into the ani'ng, column Z); at the same time water is admitted into the space in base of classifier through. nipple m into space surrounding casing k, through holes Z, in; such quantity k as-toakeepvbase j filled with water, while the 1 discharge a, which is of constant size is open.

The water from column a passing into the annular space surrounding it fills the sorting, column b and the classifier is then in operation. The pulp falling into the top of the sorting column b is now subjected to the rising current, and individual particles in falling must pass the series of water currents deflected upwardly at 0 6 and 6 before passing out of discharge a. The particlesnot sufficiently heavy to fall in this rising current are rejected andpass out of sorting column Z) into a conveying launder forfurther treatment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a classifier, thecombination with a sorting column, of a centrally disposed 2. The combination with a pulp feeding:

means, of a sorting column, arranged to reoelve the pulp from the pulp feeding means,

a centrally disposed water column locatedwithin the sorting column, the said water column being closed at the top and having perforations at different elevations, outwardly and upwardly inclined, cup-shaped deflectors surrounding the said perforations of the water column, whereby a series off water currents are deflected upwardly and outwardly in the sorting column.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES FLOOD.

lVitnesses:

JNO. Gr. POWELL, OTTO E; HoDDIoK. 

